November 28, 2004. India hosting Proteas at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens. A bearded 21 yr old gent with a strange first and surname by the visitor’s standards took the South African cap. One could surely be deceived that he was playing for the wrong team. After all, Zaheer Khan and Irfan Pathan were opening the bowling for the hosts. At 3/130 on  day 1 , he went in as the No 5,scored 24 in just under an hour and ended up being bowled by Irfan himself.He went on to bag just a couple more in the 2nd innings. His name was a surprise to all but it raised intrigue. A forgettable English series at home followed where he scored a meagre 36 in 4 innings. It looked as if he wouldn’t be heard of again, as he disappeared.The hopes of many were dashed. But he came back and rose. His name-Hashim Mahomed Amla.

In 2006, he marked his comeback with a match saving 149 vs New Zealand in the test scene after improving his technique.In 2008, he went back to India scoring 159 in Chennai, but his next tour in 2010 would be even more defining. On the back of a 253 at Nagpur in the first test,he entered Kolkata again. Enter the same Eden Gardens, where he made his debut.He went on to score 114 and 123 not out in the repeat encounter. He never looked back. A  star was born. But a very different one.  The South african selectors never looked away either. To this day he still averages 51 plus in both tests and Odi ‘s.The world asked his name. He would humbly say  “Hashim”.

His career blossomed in the background whilst  worldly controversies prospered and new  leagues and a format ignited glamour and glitz. He just carried on doing what he did best, kept his head down and played technically sound. His cricketing achievements are for all to see and reflect. If the 253 in Nagpur was an eye opener, the 311 scored at Oval was the first by a South African,in 2012 thrilled even more. Later that year his 196 at Perth was unsurprising as well en route a Protean test series victory on Aussie shores.He scored against all oppositions, on every earthly surface from the bone hard  tracks of the Gulf to the low slow Sri Lankan surfaces with equal ferocity. Maybe he should play on the moon . This with the fact he fasts on occasions on match days which are played in mostly hot and humid conditions begs to question one about this human endeavour. The application is all in the mind. Its his mental aptitude which has grown alongside his technique which allowed him to play long and solidly.

He recently finished the series against England as the highest scorer in the test series. This was after he relinquished the captaincy in favour of improving his batting though he did manage a double century in his last match as the skipper in Cape Town. It was sad to see him give up the captaincy but in light of the recent Indian series where his form  suffered greatly.  The  visitor’s long overseas unbeaten streak had ended .After  a 3-0 series defeat in the subcontinent , they  lagged behind in the home series versus England. The Proteas required many more of his calibre to put up a challenge. Nevertheless he carried Proteas in the final test vs Poms with a 109 to set up  a consolation win in Centurion Park.

Few people in the world of sports stand out both on and off the field. I say that because often in the increasing world of social media and technology, word gets out soon when there are issues pertaining to physical ,mental and social health off the field that affect an athlete’s  performance. The ever rising stressors that come with fame and attention have been a common struggle in all fields and cricket is not alien to it. It seemed Hashim had a mental balance to counteract all this and still be a part of the cricketing culture.He also had a good grounding from an early age in which played a variety of sports and worked hard at cricket. He led from an early age captaining the under 19 South African team to the world cup final in New zealand in 2002 .

What is it about Hashim that the world respects him too much ? Is he a symbol ? Is it the beard ? Is it the identity he carries ? Is it the fasting during play ? It might be all of this. To quote Mark Nicholas the revered cricket commentator of Channel 5 here in UK who recently wrote about him ,” He stands for an ideal. He speaks for the marginalised. He is hope. He is strength. He is faith. His elevation made all things possible.”

Its the fact he carries and conducts himself how an ideal human would  on and off the field. Sometimes it seems unreal in this world. Most of the times, its a relief to see him standing in that oval field. For once , cricket delivered the ” Righteous”one.  The same cricket which   has had  its  fair share of corruption, controversy , apartheid and racism.Sanity had prevailed after a long time.

In a  generation of T20 leagues  full of auctioning and branding  players as Icons, it s important to focus and reflect on  who the real icons of cricket are today. Who is l

egendary ,iconic , eminent  and venerated ? The list will be finite . If truly there is a name that comes to mind amongst the top, there can be no doubt it will be of – Hashim Mahomed Amla.